Completing the best season in school history, the South Dakota women's basketball team set or tied twenty-two school records, including victories and winning percentage, and earned a bid to the NCAA Division II playoffs for the first time since the 1988-89 season. The Coyotes advanced to the North Central Region finals before losing, 87-63, to eventual national champion South Dakota State at Frost Arena.

The Coyotes posted a school-best record of 27-5 and set a USD record for winning percentage of .844. Three players finished the season among USD's all-time scoring leaders: Junior Mandy Koupal (1333, 4th) and seniors Heather Nelson (1326, 6th) and Julia Frie (1304, 7th).

South Dakota's success was recognized nationally, as they peaked at No. 7 in the WBCA Division II Women's Basketball poll (Feb. 26) and ended the season ranked No. 9 in the country. They received the only first place vote in the final poll (March 31) not given to SDSU. They also were ranked first in the nation in three-point field goals made per game, averaging 9.0 per contest.

Coach Chad Lavin was named the Russell Athletic/WBCA North Central Region Coach of the Year as well as the NCC Coach of the Year for the third time in his career.

USD won the North Central Conference with a record of 14-2, (tied with SDSU). After losing a coin flip for the top seed at the Wells Fargo-NCC Finals, they won their first round game before falling in the semifinals 90-75 to the No. 3 seed North Dakota in Brookings.

South Dakota, the No. 2 seed, opened the North Central Regionals, held in Brookings, SD, with an 83-68 win over No. 7 Concordia-St. Paul. The Coyotes defeated No. 3 seed North Dakota State in the regional semifinals 84-61. Two days later, USD lost in the regional final.

In a 105-41 non-conference victory over Minnesota-Morris on Dec. 4, USD set a school record for three pointers in a game, connecting on 17-of-28 attempts. By halftime, the Coyotes had tied the record (Minnesota-Morris, 2000) of 13 on 17 attempts. South Dakota ranked No. 1 in the NCC and set school records in both three pointers made and three point percentage. In this history-making season, the performance of Mandy Koupal is noteworthy. During a stellar junior campaign, Koupal set twelve school records. In addition, she was named the Daktronics, Inc., Division II National Player of the Year and a member of the Daktronics All-American team in June. The junior was named a Division II Bulletin All-American first-team selection for the second consecutive year and a WBCA/Eastman Kodak Division II All-American, the first at USD since Shelby Peterson in 1993. She was also named NCC MVP for the second consecutive year and the Daktronics North Central Region Player of the Year. Koupal was a member of the Wells Fargo/NCC postseason and North Central Region All-Tournament teams. She was also named academic All-NCC and third-team Verizon Academic All-American.

Koupal ranked fifth in the nation in scoring with 23.1 points per game and her 11.9 rebounding average was 10th in the final NCAA statistics. She was one of four players in Division II to be ranked in the top ten in both of those categories. Her 20 double doubles this season set a school record. The four-time NCC Player of the Week led the NCC in five categories as well as setting an NCC-record for her 26-rebound performance against North Dakota State on Feb. 22, an effort that tied her for the best total in Division II in the 2002-03 season. She also set school records for single season points (740) and single season rebounds (340).

Senior Heather Nelson (14.0 ppg) was named to the All-NCC squad for the second straight season and was the NCC Player of the Week on Feb. 24. After never attempting a three-point shot in high school, she finishes her career at USD second in the career three-pointers (180) and tied for the second best season total at USD this year with 72. She ranked 14th nationally for three-point percentage.

Senior Julia Frie (10.5 ppg), who was one of two USD Honor Athletes for success on and off the court, was also named to the All-NCC team. She is a three-year member of the academic All-NCC team and a second-team Verizon Academic All-American. She had a 4.0 GPA in biology-chemistry.

Freshman Renae Luecke (9.5 ppg) was ranked first in the NCC and fourth nationally for her 46.4 percent three point accuracy. Junior Erin Bourne (5.9 ppg) was ranked second in the conference (44.7 percent), Koupal third (44.0 percent) and Nelson sixth (41.6 percent). Luecke was second in the NCC in made three-pointers, connecting on 2.26 per game. Nelson was third with 2.25 three pointers per game.

As a team, the Coyotes owned the best assist-to-turnover ratio in the conference at 1.29, and Stacy Schooley (5.8 ppg, 4.34 apg) was first individually at 2.11.

Team Records Three point percentage, season: .410 (288-703) Three point attempts, season: 703 Three point field goals made, season: 288 Winning percentage: .8437 Three pointers made, game: 17 vs. Minnesota-Morris, 12/4/02 Blocked shots/season: 113 Victories/season: 27 Points/season: 2,423 FT percentage/season: .746 (437-586) Record: 27-5

Mandy Koupal's School Records Points, game: 40, vs. Augustana, January 18, 2003 Points, season: 740, 2002-2003, 32 games Points average, season: 23.1, 2002-2003 FG made, season: 262, 2002-03 FG attempts, season: 491, 2002-03 Rebounds, season: 380, 2002-03 FT made, season, 176, 2002-03 FT attempts, season: 222, 2002-03 FT made, career: 328, 2001-present FT attempts, career: 413, 2001-present FT percentage, game: 11-11, 1.000 vs. Northern State, 11/22/02 Double doubles, season: 20, 2002-03